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'Healthy Beverages' for Kelston Youth: a community partnered initiative

Year:
2012
Duration:
17 months
Approved budget:
$109,367.00
Researchers:
Dr Gerhard Sundborn
Health issue:
Obesity
Proposal type:
Pacific Health Networking Project
Lay summary
It is estimated that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is responsible for one fifth (20%) of the increase in unhealthy weight that has occurred over the last three decades. Consumption of SSBs is associated with significantly increased risk of diabetes mellitus, gout, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and tooth decay. New Zealanders consume high quantities of SSBs and Maori and Pacific people are 2 times more likely to be high consumers of SSBs than other New Zealanders. Sugar-sweetened beverages have been identified as the single largest driver of unhealthy weight, making SSBs a prime candidate to be targeted as a means to counter unhealthy weight and the consequences thereof. The study aims to increase health knowledge of youth (in particular) with regard to SSBs their relationship to unhealthy weight in the West Auckland suburb of Kelston (with a large Pacific population). The study will use three approaches - social marketing, a retail-policy, and community engagement to enable messages and health knowledge to be communicated to the wider Kelston community. This project will also foster the development of the Pacific health research workforce by employing a Pacific Research Assistant to manage day-to-day running of the study and also providing a Pacific Summer Studentship for the 2012-2013 summer break. Aims: o Increase the health knowledge/raise awareness of the Kelston community with regard to the health impact of consumption of SSBs. o Promote the emergence of, or improvement of policy aimed at reducing the consumption of SSBs in schools, community organisations and the retail sector. o Reduced consumption of SSBs in Kelston residents. Main outcome measures i )Improved knowledge and reduced consumption of SSBs by children (re-Survey), ii)Emergence and/or modification of SSBs policy, iii)Improvement in school curricula with regard to health & beverages, iv)Presence/or completion of social marketing campaigns on SSBs.